Abiotic stress is a major factor affecting the normal growth and development of plants and limiting crop yields. At present, the impact of drought stress on crop yields around the world ranks first among abiotic stress factors; the damage caused by drought is equivalent to the damage caused by all natural disasters combined and has become the predominant obstruction to agricultural development in many areas.
Identifying genes that enhance the drought tolerance of plants could lead to more efficient crop production by allowing for the identification, selection and production of plants with enhanced drought tolerance.